Screen for the reception of images.



J. P. GILBERT. SCREEN FOR THE RECEPTION 0F IMAGES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1914.

Patgnted Oct. 5, 1915.

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llllllllllllllllllllllllll I JOHN P. GILBERT, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

SCREEN FOR THE RECEPTION OF IIAGES.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

' Application filed Kay 14, 1914. Serial No. 838,522.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, JOHN P. GILBERT, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have lnvented a new and useful. Improvement in- Screens for the Reception of Images, which-improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to screens for the reception of images projected by a projection apparatus, and an object of the invention is to provide a screen. on the usual stage drop so adjustable that it may be arranged at right angles to the optical axis of the projection apparatus and at the same time may be shifted into the plane of the drop so that the latter may be raised into the small space in which these drops are usually stored.

To this and other ends, the invention consists in certain parts and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a front view of my invention; Fig. 2 is a section on the plane of the drop so that. the drop maybe line a-a, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a top view of the invention.

At the present time, a great many theaters are running moving picture shows in connection with vaudeville acts. This necessitates that the screen on which the moving pictures are projected shall be in the form of a drop which can be elevated into a small space in the loft above, while the stageis being used for the other acts. The projection apparatus in such instances is generally located at the top of the theater and, as a consequence, the screen lies at an angle other than at right angles to the optical axis of the projection apparatus. This causes a dis tortion of the images projected, those at-the lower portion of the screen being larger than those at the upper portion.

According to this invention, it is possible to obtain a screen in the form of a drop without causing a distortion of the images, this being accomplished by the provision of an adjustable screen on the body of the drop so that the screen can lie at right angles to the optical axis of the projection appara-' tus when in use but may be shifted to the elevated and stored in theloft above in the small space usually provided for such drops.

Referring more particularly to. the drawings, 1 indicates the main portion of they arranged the screen 3. Preferably, this" screen is pivoted or hinged at 4 to the lower Wall of the opening in order that it may be swung into the plane of the main body of the drop or may be tilted rearwardly so that its plane will be at right angles to the opti-' cal axisof the projection apparatus. This screen is, in this instance, formed by a sheet of canvas or other material attached to a frame and coated with a mixture of plaster Paris, whiting and glue distributed there-- over by means of a brush. This mixture has i been found to absorb the picture in such a way that little or no glare takes place and very clear definitions of the images are obtained.

The opening in the drop is higher than the screen and the upper edge of the screen is connected with the upper edge of the opening by black cotton or other fabric indicated at 5. At the sides of the screen, the opening gradually widens from the bottom of the screen toward the top of the opening and the spaces between the sides of the screen and the adjacent side edges of the opening are closed by sheets of black cotton or fabric. This arrangement of the opening in the drop permits the screen to be viewed from the boxes and also from the gallery, notwithstanding that the screen is located in rear of the plane of the drop, While the black cloth used between the edges of the the drop, the cables or cords 7 are connected to the upper edge of the screen 3 and are passed about pulleys 8 to a tie piece 19 by which said cablesmay be anchored, it being apparent that, when these cables are pulled, the screen will move on the drop to an upright position and when slackened the screen will be permitted to fall to the angle desired. The drop has the usual cables 9 secured thereto and passed about pulleys 10 in the loft above to lead to the usual operating mechanism.

' From the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been provided a drop for theaters, having a screen which may be positioned to correspond to the position of the projection screen ma apparatus, while, at the same time, this be" moved to the plane of the drop in or er that the latter may be raised into the small space usually provldedin the loft above. The drop is so formed that,

when the screen is adjusted at an angle to its plane, there is an illusion that the screen is vertically arranged. The surface of the its plane may lie in the plane of the drop.

3. A drop for theaters having an opening therein and a screen for projection apparatus hinged at its lower edge at the lower edge of said opening to move to and from the plane of the drop.

4:. A drop for theaters having an opening therein which gradually increases in width toward the top of .the opening, and a screen for projection apparatus hinged at its lower edge at the lower edge of said opening to move to and from the plane of the drop.

5, A drop for theaters having an opening therein which gradually increasesin width toward the top of the. opening and a black area surrounding said opening, a screen for projection apparatus hinged at its lower edge at the lower edge of the opening, and flexible material connecting the side edges of the screen with the side edges of the opening, said material having its exposed face black.

6. A drop for theaters having an opening therein which gradually increases in width toward its top and a black area surrounding the opening, a screen for projection apparatus hinged at its lower edge at the lower edge of the opening and having its upper edge spaced from the uper edge of the opening, and flexible material connecting the side and top edges of the screen with the side and top edges of the opening, said flexible material having its exposed faces black.

7. A drop for theaters having an opening therein and a screen for projection apparatus hinged at its lower edge at the lower edge of said opening to move to and from the plane of the drop, and-cables connected to the upper edge of the screen and to the drop and adapted to control the position of the screen on the drop.

8. A drop for theaters having an opening therein, a screen for projection apparatus hinged to swing in said opening aboutahorizontal axis to move to and from the plane of the drop and flexible material connecting the swinging edges of the screen with the adjacent edges of the opening.

JOHN P. GILBERT.

lVitnesses HAROLD H. .SIMMS, ADA M. WHITMORE. 

